Rival Destinies
by Beanstalks
Summary: The rivals of the Best Wishes saga have their own journeys, and many stories are born when these people cross paths. A story about the lives of several talented people, connected together by tournaments, Pokemon, and adventure.
1. Training: Georgia and Bianca

**Author's note: **Lemme see how long I can continue this fic before getting lazy. This should be about 43 chapters long, give or take.

I'll likely post these on my Tumblr because Fanfiction dot Net sucks at formatting and spacing paragraphs.

* * *

The following takes place during BW045: _Meowth's Scrafty Tactics!_

She was a lost little girl, running from Point A to Point B. Everything could fall apart around her, and she would be in her own little world. It'd be a miracle if she made it to the next town without getting lost in the desert for three days.

Georgia was watching Bianca from across the busy plaza, remembering her as the kooky girl from the Club Battle Tournament, the one who lost in the first round and spent the rest of the event chasing around a boy's Zorua. Bianca was sitting on a bench beside a large fountain, staring down the ice cream she held.

Georgia, in a moment she would describe as a combination of curiousness and pity, walked over to the girl, her Beartic in tow. Bianca looked over to see Georgia looming over her with her hands on her hips. Behind her, a hulking giant of a Pokemon.

"Hey," Georgia said to her. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's you, Georgia," Bianca repled. "I'm fine. Luke and Zorua jus ditched me, is all."

She remembered her name! Georgia couldn't help but smile. "The kid with the camera?" she asked. "Well, maybe if you didn't spend so much time filming and chasing Zorua, he wouldn't have ditched you.

Bianca gave a sharp glare at Georgia, then started to pout. "It's not my fault he's wasting his career on some stupid documentary, and not on his darling princess, Zorua!"

"You're pretty clueless, you know that?" Georgia said with an exasperated sigh. She slid down and took a seat beside Bianca. "Maybe you need to get our of your fantasy world, princess."

Harsh, Georgia! But she felt that Bianca had to get a dose of the hard truth, and no one was better suited at giving out the cold, hard reality of things than Georgia. And no one was more deserving of a truth bomb.

Bianca didn't appear to listen to that statement; she was busy staring at Beartic with her mouth open. Beartic stared back, letting out cold air from its nose.

"My, what a big Pokemon you are," Bianca muttered. "He would't eat me, would he, Georgia?"

"Beartic's too much of a sweatheart for that," Georgia said. "Just...don't look at him directly in the eye; he'll think you're challenging him to battle.

Bianca gulped in fear, unable to keep her eyes away from the hulking beast before her. At least it was sort of cute. And it did seem to have some muscular arms...

"Hey, why don't you catch a new Pokemon?" Georgia suggested. "Something to help you forget about Zorua."

With the speed of a hyperactive Liepard, Bianca jumped out of her her seat, accidentaly knocking Beartic over in the process. She turned to Georgia and gave her the biggest smile she could muster.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Georgia!" Bainca squealed. "I want something cute, and pink, and a face that I could just kiss all day!"

"That's the spirit!" Georgia said as she rose from her seat. "I know a mountain nearby, and it's filled with Cubch-"

"No bears! I don't want something that can eat me!" Bianca whined. "But do you think I can find something for me?"

"I guess I could serve as your capture mentor," Georgia said as she grabbed Bianca's hands. "And as your bodyguard, because I doubt you'd survive too long in the wilderness."

Georgia imagined herself as a brave knight, guarding the beautiful damsel as they ventured out into a forest of thorny vines. A knight that also slayed dragons, but that's beside the point.

"I don't need to be protected," Bianca said dismissively. "I'm not a baby!"  
"Oh yes, you are," Georgia replied with a smirk.  
"For your information, I made it all the way here from Nuvema Town by myself!"

Bianca turned looked past Georgia, at the Pokemon Center across the road. "I'll show you how good I am. Let me buy some PokeBalls and we'll be off."

Georgia suppressed a giggle. That girl may be a clueless ditz, but boy did she had determination. And that girl immediately mowed Georgia over, running right through her with the speed and force of a subway train. Georgia was knocked into the fountain.

* * *

Next Time: Stephan


	2. Training: Steven

The following takes place during BW049: _Enter Elesa, Electrifying Gym Leader!_

* * *

Sawk's fist pounded at the punching bag in a furious storm of hits. The blue Smurf's face was expressionless, showing no exhaustion from the effort it was giving. All he cared about was defeating his next opponent, becoming stronger and making up for his loss in the Club Battle tournament.

"Awesome job, Sawk!" cheered his trainer, the young redheaded Stephan. Stephan was watching the action from a nearby couch with a sleeping Purrloin.

"Sawk..." Sawk nodded to himself, then continued the punching bag assault.

After the Club Battle, Stephan had accompanied the tournament's host, Don George to a nearby city. Don George advised him to train at the city's Battle Club, and Stephan agreed. He had confidence in his Pokemon, but he wanted to be prepared to face the next Gym Leader.

Don George -wearing the Club battle standard attire with green lining- passed Stephan and Purrloin by and tapped Sawk's shoulder. The Pokemon immediately stopped attacking the punching bag and turned to face the man. It was given a cup of fresh water.

"Drink up, Sawk," Don George said warmly. "You don't want to get dehydrated now, you hear?"

"Sawk," Sawk said with a nod and a smile. It took a very small, modest sip.

Don George then turned to Stephan and said, "You both did good during the Don Battle."

"Thanks, Uncle George!" Stephan said, giving off a radiant smile. "Really, thanks for notici-"

"But you weren't_ great_."

The smile dropped frop Stephan's face. "Oh."

"If you want to be a champion, you must work harder than you've been," Don George said austerely. "How would your dad react when he finds out you lost another tournament?"

"Not very good," Stephan sighed. "And I only made it to the second round, too..."

Sawk trotted over to Stephan and tapped his shoulder. He smiled and held out his glass of water to his Trainer.

"Thanks, Sawk," Stephan sighed. "You're a pal."

"And if he puts the same effort into beating Burgh Pokemon as he did Clay's," Don George said, "then he'll definitely be getting access to the VIP saunas!"

* * *

By late afternoon the Club Battle was almost deserted. By this time, most Trainers would leave the building and head to a Pokemon Center to rest after a long day of hard work. Having spent so much of his life in Battle Clubs, Stephan had seen this happen so many times, in Battle Clubs all over Unova.

Only three Trainers remained: Stephan, and two trainers engaged in a battle. One trainer, a young boy, ordered his Ferroseed to lunge at a Watchog, owned by the older male in the Watchog suit.

But Stephan wasn't letting himself by distracted by their battle. Now, it was time to relax and eat a healthy dinner with his Pokemon: Sawk, Zebstrika, Purrloin and Luxio.

As the Battle Club's cafeteria was populated by chairs and seats, there wasn't a lot of floor space for Zebstrika and Luxio to lay down. As usual, they were eating in the foyer, with the Electric types on the floor and Stephan, Purrloin and Sawn each taking a spot on the couch.

"Great work-out today, team!" Stephan cheered enthusiastically. "Tomorrow, we'll leave for Castelia City and challenge Burgh. And with that..."

Stephan placed his bowl of coconut rice on the floor and dug into his pocket. He pulled out an orange Badge Case and opened it up, revealing his three Badges. His first Badge was the Jet Badge, from Skyla of Mistralton City. beside it, the Quake Badge, from Clay of Driftveil City. Finally, the Bolt Badge, obtained after a vicious match with Elesa of Nimbasa City. He obtained the last one shortly before the Club Battle tournament.

"...we'll be one step closer to the League, and making the family back home really proud!"

Stephan was about to pick up his bowl when he noticed that Purrloin was on the foor and holding the bowl, its face covered with rice. Purrloin gave Stephan a smile before dropping the bowl and dashing away.


	3. Training: Bianca Captures

Deep within a vast forest, Bianca and Georgia had slept together.

In Georgia's tent. Bianca grew envious that she had to sleep in her sleeping bag while Georgia had brought her own tent. Bianca had mustered up all her cuteness to sob and beg Georgia o share, until the latter finally relented. But in return, Georgia got to eat whatever food Bianca had packed, since she forgot to pack herself anything, and didn't want to resort to eating Pokemon food again.

* * *

It was rather early in the morning, and Bianca was rather cranky. Bianca was forced to wake up early, because Georgia told her that they needed to get a head start on their journey if they wanted to find a good Pokemon. Early Taillow catches the Wurmple, you know?

Georgia wasn't in the highest spirits either. The only "food" Bianca packed was a box of chocolate, and they didn't mae for a good breakfast.

"You really need to get healthier foods, princess," Georgia scoffed as they plodded along a tree-lined forest trail. "Chocolate bars are meant to be snacks."

"Well, it's my body and I'll do what I want," Bianca scoffed. She was farther ahread, inspecting the area as she walked.

"You'll get fat, or sick."  
"I don't get fat; my lightning-fast metabolism sees to that."

"Your big butt says otherwise."

Bianca stopped and turned to face Georgia, glaring daggers at her. "What was _that _supposed to mean?"

"It means the princess can bust a dragon just by sitting on it," Georgia retorted.

"Well!" Bianca started. "How about a battle? Pignite will knock some sense into a bigger pig, if you know what I mean."

"I'm up for another battle, but can you put your money where your mouth is? After all, you lost in the first round."

Bianca's eyes sparkled with tiny tears. "Why'd you have to go there, Georgia?"

Wow. Georgia? Completely thrown off by that. She didn't mean to hurt Bianca's feelings. That girl was just oversensitive, is all. But Georgia still felt guilty.

"You almost don't share your tent, you eat all my food, call me fat, and make fun of meeeee!"

"Look, forget I said anything," Georgia sighed. "You look fine."

Bianca gave Georgia the puppy-dog eyes. "Really?"

"Well, not now. Now when you're crying."

To tell the truth, she thought Bianca looked rather cute when she cried, when she showed off her vulnerability like that. But she was _adorable_ when she smiled, and that's what she wanted to see.

Bianca dropped a PokeBall to her feet, letting out her well-groomed Minccino. She knealt down and picked it up. As she held it, the Pokemon noticed her tear-streaked and started to dust her face with its tail.

Trying to make things less awkward, Georgia asked, "So, how did you get Minccino? Did you catch it yourself?"

A moment passed before Bianca could answer, due to her face being ful of Minccino's tail. When the Pokemon finished cleaning her, she placed the Pokemon back on the ground and stood up to face Georgia.

"You know Ash, Cilan, and Iris, right?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Georgia responded. "The kid with the Snivy, the guy who keeps tlking about food, and the the girl who knows the foul stench of Dragons."

"I was sent to give Ash his Badge Case, and that's how I met them. Of course, it wasn't the most pleasant of meetings, since I knocked both Ash and Cilan into the river-"  
"Get to the point, princess," Georgia groaned.

"Well, one thing led to another, and Minccino stole the Badge Case, because it wanted to clean it, because it got dirty in my bag, and I hate cleaning so my bag was messy.

"Aaaaaaaaanyway, after it defeated all of his Pokemon and Pignite, Ash eventually weakened it. But it was running away! Thinking quick, I pulled out a dirty PokeBall to lure it over to me. And with Minccino in my clutches, I was able to capture it."

"Good thinking on your part," Georgia said, almost smiling. "I doubt it's true, but it was a nice story."

"Believe it or not, I am very good at thinking on my feet!" Bianca scoffed.

"Then maybe you should apply your brains into battles, hmm? Instead of being so pushy and headstrong?"

Bianca's jaw dropped a little, just enough to show off her overbite. Her expression curled into one of deep thought, as if she were dealing with a complex math problem in her head.

"I learned to be more tactful when I was catching Pawniard," Georgia said. "I only had Cubchoo on me, and-"  
"Hold on," Bianca interrupted. "What's a Cubchoo."  
"Beartic's pre-evolved form. Hold on..."

Georgia dug through her skirt's pocket and pulled a pink Pokedex out for Bianca. After rapidly pressing several buttons, she showd Bianca the screen revealing a small, white bear cub with snot running down its nose.

_"Cubchoo, the Chill Pokemon," _the Pokedex explained in its synthetic voice. _"Their snot is a barometer of health. When healthy, their snot is sticky and the power of their ice moves increases."_

"It's so cute!" Bianca sqealed. "But the snot is so gross..."

"Try having to sleep with one when it's sick," Georgia groaned. "When the little guy had a fever, he crawled into my tent and sat himself next to my head. I woke up with frozen snot all over my hair."

The two girls and Minccino all cackled wildly. Georgia held her hands over her mouth as she laughed, while Bianca flailed her limbs around wildly, stepping on Minccino's tail. Minccino struggled to stifle a scream.

"As I was saying," Georgia said with a sigh of contentment. "Cubchoo was at a disadvantage when fighting Pawniard, since Steel types are strong against Ice types. Coupled with Pawniard's sharp body, it made close combat almost impossible."

"How did you beat it, then?" Bianca asked.

"I did what any great Dragon Buster would do: I thought quick and used the power of ice. I ordered Cubchoo to freeze the ground with Ice Punch. When Pawniard ran in to attack, it slipped on the ice. Its metal body was starting to stick on the ice, and it kept slipping when it tried to get up. I threw a PokeBall, and it was all over."  
Bianca stared at her in amazement. "That sounds so cool! You're so cool, Georgia!"  
"I know," Georgia said, nonchalant. But deep down, Georgia was smiling.

Mincinno's ears twitched. It pulled pulled on Bianca's dress with its tiny paws, grabbing her and Georgia's attention.

"Minccino!" it cried, pointing between two of the innumerable trees that lined the path.

"Is something there, Minccino?" Georgia asked.

"Scare it out with Hyper Voice!" Bianca commanded.

"You sure attacking it is such a good id-"

Minccino rolled its ears and closed its eyes. "Minccino!" it screamed, sending a wave of pure, agonizing screams at the forest. The bushes and blades of grass started to blow away, revealing a cowering metalic helmet. Pink lips jutted out from underneath.

Minccino stopped its assault and took a deep breath. That small window of time was enough for the mysterious Pokemon to dash away.

"What a cutie," Bianca said. "What is it?"

"A Shelmet!" Georgia exclaimed. "Don't let it get away, Bianca."

"Right!"

The girls and Minccino ran after Shelmet. The Pokemon was surprisingly fast, so, while they managed to keep in sight, Minccino failed to catch up to Shelmet and launch an attack.

"Why's it so fast?" Bianca whined.  
"It seems very timid," Georgia replied. "It must be so scared, it's mustering all of its adrenaline to run for its life."

"How can we catch up to it, then?"  
"Maybe a long-ranged attack will work?" Georgia said.

Bianca stopped in her tracks. "Minccino," she declared, "use Swift!"

Minccino leapt into the air and swung its tail around. Golden stars rained down, then swiftly maneuvered a path to Shelmet. One by one, the stars hit Shelmet's rear, tripping the Pokemon and pushing it down on its face.

"You got it!" Georgia exclaimed.

"Minccino, DoubleSlap!" Bianca commanded.

Minccino ran over to Shelmet and slid its glowing white tail underneath the opponent's body. The tail lifted Shelmet into the air, it was being flipped like a pancake. Minccino lunged up and smacked Shelmet back to the ground with another swipe of its tail.

"PokeBall, go!" Bianca cried.

She threw a PokeBall at Shelmet, which enguled it in red light before sucking it up and closing. The ball shook, shook, shook for several moments until it stopped. The ball emmitted a loud_ ping!_,signifying a capture.

"Alright!" Bianca screamed at the top of her lungs. "I caught my fourth Pokemon!"

"Good job," Georgia said. "it wasn't an Ice or Steel type, but at least it wasn't a Dragon type."

* * *

The sun was setting, heralding the approach of night. Georgia had just finished packing her backpack, and Bianca was cuddling her new Shelmet. Beartic remained seated, holding Bianca's Minccino within its large paws. Minccino started to brush Beart's icicle "beard" furiously with its tail, much to Beartic's shock.

"You sure you have to go?" Bianca asked sadly. "You can come with me to Nimbasa City."

"I'm sure," Georgia replied. "I gotta pick up some special Pokemon food in Castelia City, then hitch a boat ride..."

When she saw Bianca's frown, she added, "...But I'll be heading Mistralton City eventually, so maybe I'll come and check out your Gym battle there."

"Thanks so much for helping me, Georgia," Bianca said. "Now I have a new best friend. Or two, counting you!"

Georgia blushed. "Yeah, whatever. Just remember that the next time we meet, we'll be enemies on the battle field. Don't get too comfortable."

"Want to have a battle before we part?"

Georgia turned to Beartic, now lying on the ground, unmoving. Minccino was brushing its face furiously, distress on its face as it started to realize how no amount of cleanign would rid the icicles from Beartic's face. But it had to keep trying, it can't let something unclean be in its presense.

"I don't think our Pokemon have battles on the brain right now," Georgia said.

"Oh, wait!" Bianca said. "I just noticed how I can tell you apart from Zorua!"  
"Huh? How?"  
"Zorua actually smiles!"

"..."


	4. Training: Unovan Gothic

The following takes place during BW046 - _The Beartc Mountain Feud!_

He was an artist. His medium was the fine art of film, a medium that allowed for all sorts of sights, sounds, and techniques to tell his visions to the world. With his documentary on the Club Battle on the way, he would teacher, an informer. With the action movie he had in the works, he would take the collective breaths away of an audience in awe. The ideas in his head, the stories and people he would give to the world, will show everyone who he was.

What he was not, however, was a babysitter. But he was hired to film this Trainer's Gothita while its Trainer battled at Castelia Gym.

Some time after the Club Battle tournament aired on TV, A Trainer had gotten hold of him through Luke's website. She explained that her Gothita was enamoured by his camera and demanded to be in a short film. seeing as the Castelia City Gym Leader focused on Bug types, Gothita, a Psychic type, wouldn't be needed for battle and would be free to make the shoot.

Luke would have rather spent his time editing his documentary on the Don Battle. But his friend, Mr. Matthews, was in need of money to help repair his old theater, and Luke couldn't turn down a friend in need. That, and the Trainer offered a rather hefty payment.

Gothita stood in front of a green screen, staring intensely at the camera. Luke, from behind the lens, said, "Gothita, stop looking at the camera."

A woman with pale skin, dark hair, and a black, Victorian-esque gown on walked on-screen and placed herself next to Gothita. She gave Luke a sly smirk.

"Zorua, get out of the shot," Luke said. "You're not in this scene."

The woman did a backflip, glowed a bright purple and turned into Luke's Zorua, Pokemon actress extraordinaire. She let out a giggly before dashing off the set.

"Okay, Gothita," Luke said. "The film opens with you out on an open field and sniffing the flowers. Leavanny will approach you and offer you a job at his modeling agency. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand...ACTION!"

Gothita belting out its name in song. Its hands were on its hips, giving off an air of total confidence. Say what you would about how forced its acting was flat and uninspiring, but this Pokemon really knew how to command a scene and stay in the spotlight.

Leavanny walked on stage and said, "Leavanny."  
Gothita stopped singing and turned to stare at Leavanny is its big, unblinking eyes. "Gothita?"  
"Leave Leave Leavanny!"

Pokemon conversing in their native tongue - that is to say, they repeated their names and syllables found in their names constantly- would be difficult for human audiences to understand. Because of this, Luke planned to voice over the Pokemon dialogue later on, explaining the story. So the current coversation would look like this:

"MY, WHAT A GORGEOUS POKEMON!" Leavanny said. Luke would give it a deep, manly voice. "YOU SIMPLY MUST MODEL FOR MY COMPANY!"  
"Who? Me?" Gothita asked in the high-pitched voice Luke would give her. "But I'm just an innocent Pokemon, I don't have any modeling experience."  
"Nonsense! The way you move, you're practically a professional! And the world needs to see your talent, for it can brighten everyone's day and bring everyone together in your honor."

Luke groaned under his breath. The script its Trainer wrote was a poorly-written vehicle for Gothita. It's a shame the plot revolved around this Pokemon, because he knew she could write much better than this garbage.

Gothita's Trainer was an talented if underrated author; Luke had read two of her books, an urban fantasy novel about a person becoming a Weremanitan and a space oddyssey, and really liked them. The way she could build in a rich atmosphere and story, then subvert your expectations and completely change the way you view her world t the drop of a hat. How she could craft a complex story that kept you guessing until the last page, yet left you learning for more beyond that. If it weren't for her bland and emotionless plot devices she called characters, her stories would be perfect.

A deal had been struck: in addition to paying for the cost of filming and some of the theater repairs, Gothita's Trainer said that, if this film was to her satisfaction, they would allow Luke to adapt one of her stories. With a bit of tweaking and some stronger writing for the characters, Luke knew he would have a hit on his hands.

And speaking of hits, Gothita was slapping and pushing Leavanny farther and father to the side, until Gothita was the only one in the camera's gaze.  
"Gothita, Leavanny's still in this scene!" Luke snapped.

Gothita ignored him, instead smiling and winking at the camera. "Gothita! Gothi, Gothi, Goth!"

* * *

The rest of the story involved Gothita attending a modeling show. Gothita would be stricken with stage fright and hide in a local park, before getting an encouraging pep talk from the famous model, Elesa (played by Zorua.) Gothita and several models would do their thing on the runway. Gothita would go on to "win" (winning what wasn't explained in the script) and then give a speech, thanking Elesa and her Trainer for being such big inspirations.

They had filmed the Elesa scenes earlier, since it the scene needed to occur during the sunset and a green screen would look tacky. With that out of the way, only the acceptance speech and the modeling scenes were left.

The set was rather simple: curtains hid the back of the stage, and several cardboard boxes were painted, stuffed, and glued together to form a small catwalk. The studio's stage lights were brought down so the camera could fit them on-screen.

MC Larvesta hosted the event. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," the Pokemon would say in a booming, manly voice, "PLEASE WELCOME OUR FIRST MODEL, LOPUNNY!"

Lopunny, played by Zorua, walked on stage in a hand on her hips. She smiled, closed her eyes, and casually but confidently crossed the runway...followed by Gothita.

"Gothita, you're not supposed to be in this shot!" Luke groaned. "Just follow the script!"

Lopunny stopped. She flipped back and landed behind Gothita, as a Zorua. Zorua grabbed Gothita by the protrusion at the top of it head and forcefully pulled her behind the curtains. There were several seconds of loud screeching and growling. Luke's Golett, boom mike in hand, ran behind the curtains to check out the scene.

Within moments, Golett ran out, giving Luke a thumb's up.

Lopunny strolled out from behind the curtain, turned on the catwalk, and went behind the curtains.

"Zorua?" Luke asked. "What happened to Gothita?"

Gothita then strolled out of from behind the curtains, stepping across the stage nervously. Slowly, her steps started to become more confident and strong, quick. Watching her, you could see a strong transformation, a Pokemon becoming stronger and happier the closer she got to the camera.

Gothita finally reached the end of the catwalk and gave the camera a quick wink and a sky smirk. She turned away an walked back. And with that, Luke finally understood what just happened.

* * *

"Thanks for watching Gothita, Luke," Gothita's Trainer, Katherine said.

"No problem, Katherine," Luke replied. "How did the Gym Battle turn out?"  
"It was a struggle, but we managed to pull off a victory," Katherine said warmly. "I hope filming went well."  
"Things started out a little rough," Luke confessed. "But everything worked itself out in the end, as you'll see in the movie."

"You can call me on my Xtransceiver when editing is finished," Katherine told him. "I'm sure it's a masterpiece!"

Gothita appeared from behind Luke and lifted its arms up. Katherine picked up the Fixation Pokemon and pressed her lips on its forehead.

"We better get going for Nimbasa City ," Katherine said to Luke. "I'm sure Gothita'll be excited to see Elesa close up."

"Good luck on your next Gym Battle," Luke said.

Katherine started towards the door, but suddenly stopped. She looked down at her Gothita and said, "This isn't my Gothita. My Gothita is male, and this Pokemon is female."

The michevious Pokemon let out a giggle.


	5. Training: Lady in Red Vest

This encounter takes place during BW065 - "_Battling the Bully!_"

Ah, the fresh taste of a good training session. No that didn't sound right. It was a delicious day, and Dewott's training was the icing on this...on this day. No, that didn't work, either...

As Burgundy was waxing poetic, Dewott was spitting Water Gun on the ground, thinking cold thoughts. The duo wanted Dewott to learn Ice Beam, for it was a powerful move that would give them an edge over a certain Connoisseur's Pansage.

That Connoiseur was Cilan, by the way.

Training just outside the Pokemon Center of Virga City for the past two days, Dewott made very little progress towards learning this new attack. At best, it could only make a cold Water Gun.

"Out of my way, out of my way, out of my way, OUT OF MY WAY!"

"_Quoi?_" Burgundy asked herself, before she could make out a furious blur of a person that rushed past her.

"Out of my way!"

The person crashed into Burgundy, forcing the purple-haired girl into the muddy puddle Dewott's Water Gun had made.

"_Imbécile!_" Burgundy screeched. "Watch what you're doing!"

"I'm so, so, so sorry!" the person, a young blond girl begged. "Please forgive me!"

As Burgundy rose to her feet, she said, "Wait, I know you. You're Bianca, right? One of Cilan's allies?"

"I know Cilan, yes," Bianca replied. "Hey, you're that girl from the Club Battle tournament!"

"Indeed," Burgundy replied proudly. "I am the one you call Burgundy, the Connaisseuse with excellent taste!"

"You were the one who lost to Ash in the first round!"

Burgundy stomped her foot furiously. "_That's_ what you remember about me?!"

"I'm sorry," Bianca sighed. "How about I make it up to you?"  
"By paying for my dry cleaning, I hope."

"You evaluate Pokemon, right? Like Cilan?"

"Better than Cilan, _vraiment!_"

"Then I'll let you evaluate my Pokemon, on the house!"  
That perked Burgundy up. Somebody actually wanted her opinion! "Very Well. _Alors_, it's re-evaluating ti-"

Wait a moment.

"...did you just trick me?" Burgundy questioned.

Bianca responded by holding up a PokeBall and waving it around frantically. "Try this one first!"

Bianca threw her PokeBall down, releasing a small, green garbage bag. Burgundy stared at the bag and the bag stared back at her, smiling.

Burgundy reached into her pocket and pulled out a PokeDex. She scanned the Pokemon:  
_"Trubbish, the Trash Bag Pokemon. The combination of garbage bags and industrial waste caused the chemical reaction that created this Pokémon."_

"Disgusting!" Burgundy cried. "How can you stand that thing?"  
"Says the girl covered in mud," Bianca retorted. "So, in your expert opinion , how does Trubbish stack up as a Pokemon?"

"By its appearance alone, I can tell that it must eat a lot of garbage."  
"Thank you!" Bianca sqealed. "I make sure to feed it the best garbage of any Pokemon Center."  
Burgundy stared at Bianca skeptically.  
"Are you going to taste it?" Bianca asked. "Ash told me how you tried to lick his Snivy."

"No, that's okay!" Burgundy said nervously. "I'm sure...I'm sure it's fine. How about you let me see another Pokemon, _n'es pas?_"

Bianca dug through her Pocket and pulled out her Pignite.  
"Pignite, eh?" Burgundy said to herself as she leaned in over the Pokemon. "Why, your Pignite is way too chubby for its species."

"I think it looks just fine," Bianca pouted.

"You shouldn't feed it so much. It's so chunky, I'd be surprised if it could actually move in a battle."

Pignite furrowed its brow and held up its arm and lunged forward. He struck Burgundy over the head with a vicious Hammer Arm. Burgundy screeched and fell to the ground.

"What an ill-behaved Pokemon!" she screamed. "Can't you control your Pokemon."

"Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry," Bianca pleaded, bowing over and over again. "You didn't mean to lose your temper, did you, Pignite?"

Pignite turned away and snorted a small flame. He wasn't sorry, and felt no reason to pretend he was.

"No wonder you lost in the first round of that tournament," Burgundy hissed. "You're a bad Trainer with equally bad Pokemon!"

"But I've been improving a lot since then," Bianca said sadly. "Please, give me a chance to show you how hard I worked."  
"_Alors_, is that a challenge to battle I hear?"  
"Oh, sure! I'll show you how serious I take my training now."

* * *

"This will be a one-on-one battle," Burgundy said. "Let's see how your horrible Pokemon go up against well-bred Pokemon in their prime."

The city of Virga was established very close to Chargestone Cave; as such, it wasn't uncommon to see pebbles float or crackle with electricity. The battlefield behind the Pokemon Center was no exception, featuring several stones levitating over the ground.

Bianca and Trubbish faced Burgundy and Sawsbuck from across the field. Bianca tried her best to look collected, but Bugundy could tell the girl was nervous.

"_Alors_," Burgundy declared wistfully. "It's re-evaluating ti-"

"Trubbish, use Haze!"

Trubbish took in a deep breath and exhaled a thick mist over the field. Sawsbuck's eyes darted around the field frantically, hoping to keep its sights of Trubbish. Unfortunately the Trash Bag Pokemon soon faded from its field of vision.

"What trickery is this?" Burgundy asked. "You think a flashy gimmick will stop us? Sawsbuck, Horn Leach!"

Sawsbucks ran head-first into the mist, horns a-blazing. It moved its head erratically as it moved, in the hopes of finding Trubbish and landing a hit.

"Poison Gas!" Bianca commanded.

A fountain of thick purpe liquid spouted out from somewhere in the mist. The goop rained down over the field, hitting Sawsbuck's back and horns and causing it to wince in pain.

"First you cover me in mud, now you dirty my Pokemon?!" Burgundy cried. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I'm showing you what I've learned," Bianca responded, a big smile on her face. "Trubbish isn't strong enough to go all-out like Pignite, so I'm playing to its strengths."

_I need to get rid of this fog, _Burgundy thought. _I can't see a thing, and Trubbish can attack from anywhere._

Got it!

Burgundy spun around, petals and sparkles descending upon her delicate frame. "Sawsbuck, Sunny Day!"

Sawsbuck raised is liquid-smudged head and held its horns up high. The thick foliage they held started to glow a bright orange, exuding small sparkles that floated into the sky.

"Sunny Day?" Bianca questioned. "Isn't that the move that makes the field bright and sunny?"

"_Oui._"

"How's that going to help?"

The sun bared down on the field, warming the air around them. Bianca wiped her forehead of sweat. The stench of raw, steaming trash filled the air. The surrounding fog brought down by Haze was now starting to dissipate. A damp field started to come into view.

"Ew, what's that smell?" Bianca groaned. "Is that you, Trubbish?"  
"_Oui_," Burgundy stated. "Not only that..."

Burgundy extended her hand toward the field. "...But the heat will cause Haze to evaporate."

"No worries," Bianca said to herself. "We'll just...stall for time until Sunny Day fades away, and then use Haze aga-"

"No, no, no," Burgundy chided. "Note Trubbish's awful smell; even if you blind us, the smell will tell us where Trubbish is."

"Oh no!"

Burgundy spun around on her right heel and held her hands above her head. She opened her palms, sending a cascade of flowers over her.

"It's Wild Charge time, _s'il vous plait!_"

Bianca smiled. "I've prepared for this."

Trubbish opened its mouth and gurgled a transparent liquid over the ground surrounding it. The liquid expanded over more of the field, mixing with the dirt and turning into dark brown mud.

Sawsbuck, meanwhile, was kicking its legs furiously, generating quite a bit of dust and static. The floating rocks drifted away as Sawsbuck gained more electricity. It made a sudden leap towards Trubbish, and galloped with frightening speed.

...And then it slowed down. The closer it got to Trubbish and deeper into the mud, Sawsbuck got slower and slower. It was barely speed-walking by the time it reached Trubbish.

"Now dodge it!" Bianca cried.

Unfortunately, Trubbish's jumping skills were unrefined; when it moved upwards, it was struck by Sawsbuck's horns. It received a power electric jolt before Sawsbuck shook its head violently and threw it across the field.

"Let's finish this!" Burgundy yelled. "Sawsbuck..."

Sawsbuck nodded. It held its leafy horns up to the sky. Light surrounded its body.

"No..." Bianca murmured. "Trubbish, stop it!"

Trubbish weakly rose from the ground. Spotting Sawsbuck's attack, it ran towards the powerful Pokemon.

"SolarBeam!" Burgundy commanded.

"Explosion!" Bianca cried out desperately.

Sawsbuck's solar-powered beam fired as Trubbish's body expanded and forced an explosion outwards. The ground ripped apart, sending a few chunks of rock flying in multiple directions. Both Bianca and Burgundy shielded their eyes from the collateral damage.

When it seemed as through the aftershocks of the battle were over, they uncovered themselves and looked towards their Pokemon. Trubbish, unconscious, lay on top of Sawsbuck, also knocked out.

Bianca recalled her Pokemon. "Sawsbuck's really tough..."

"No fair!" Burgundy screeched. She recalled her Pokemon. "Do-over, do-over!"

* * *

Author's Note: I figured taking a bit of artistic license on how Haze works might have been effective. The battle between Bianca and Burgundy continues in the next chapter.

To anyone reading: what do you think? Should I focus more on battles, as well as relationships?

And Layne - I really like writing Bianca and Georgia together! I was planning on having the two move on and interact with other trainers, (especially since Georgia's story and development should involve a lot of Burgundy), but I'll try and include an extra chapter or two focusing on Georgia and Bianca, just for you.


	6. Training: A Connaisseuse's Reevaluation

"Round two," Burgundy called out to Bianca, from across the field. "Can you handle Dewott's fearsome power?"  
"A type advantage puts us in a tight spot," Bianca replied. "But I know it'll just make things more...interesting."

Pignite snorted out flames from his nose, and Dewott responded by holding its Scalchops before itself. The two held each other in an intense staring contest.

* * *

"Dewott, put the pork on ice!"

Dewott nodded, inhaled, and spat out a force of water at Pignite. The water was thick, becoming slush the closer it got to Pignite. The speed of the slush was slow enough to allow Pignite a free dodge.

"Hammer Arm!" Bianca commanded.

Pignite had dodged the slush and started running towards Dewott. When the former got close, the latter ducked its head underneath the pig's body. Dewott pulled forth a Scalchop and struck Pignite's abdomen. Pignite fell to its side and groaned in pain.

"Think cold thoughts, Dewott!" Burgundy cried out. "Think of the ice-cold revenge we'll inflict on Cilan!"

Dewott inhaled, then spat out cold slush over Pignite. Pignite shook his hand over apathetically, more annoyed by the goop than anything.

"Oh NOOOOO!" Bianca squealed. "Pignite's too weak to move!"

Dewott continued to shower Pignite with slush, which got progressively colder over time. And in that time, Pignite sort of got to enjoy the slush. It was like lying on snow, making snow angels. Pignite was more than glad to step away from battling and enjoy the relaxation.

"Keep up the endurance, Pignite," Bianca said. "I know you can do it."  
"Keep up the torture, Dewott!" Burgundy cackled. "You will destroy them!"

"We can't lose. We've worked too hard..."

"Alas, we can't all be winners."

Bianca tearfully looked down at Pignite's PokeBall, in her hand. "I don't get it. Pignite's the best Pokémon _ever_. And I worked so hard training him."

Burgundy recognized that tone and look. But she let Bianca continue.  
"I don't get it. Am I not good enough? Because my Pokémon are so good, it has to be me."

"Yeah, probably," Burgundy scoffed.

Pignite looked up from the slush. Dewott stopped its vicious assault and listened in.

"Maybe I should release them, or give them away?" Bianca asked. "I'm just holding my Pokémon back. _They_ won those Badges, not me. _I_ lost to Elesa and Stephan, not them."

The disgusting taste of self-doubt, with bitter sprinkles of defeat. Burgundy slowly realized that this girl knew what it was like to have hit rock bottom, the lowest point in her life. The moment when her spirit was crushed, ruining her buffet of life with spoiled milk. Sure, she could take out some of the milk. But the taste would forever linger.

Burgundy could see the pain in Bianca.

And so did Pignite.

Pignite unleashed a Flamethrower over the distracted Dewott. Dewott was dumbstruck, burned. But it was still coherent enough to block an oncoming Arm Thrust with its Scalchops.

"Cheap shot, cheap shot!" Burgundy screeched. "Your Pokémon is horrible!"  
"Pignite..." Bianca started. "I understand."

Pignite and Bianca both nodded. Bianca commanded, "Fling!"

Pignite grabbed an armful of the rocks - those floating, sparking rocks - and hurled them at Dewott, one by one. Dewott deflected each and every one of them with its Scalchops.

But the point of the attack wasn't to do harm. With Dewott distracted with the rocks, it wasn't watching out for the Flamethrower that hit it directly in its face, burning it.

Dewott raised a Scalchop and twirled it around, turning it into a blue blade. But Bianca commanded for a Flamethrower, which struck Dewott's hand and burned it even more. It dropped the Scalchop on the ground and withdrew its sore hand.

Bianca held out her hand and cried, "Pignite, Hammer Arm!"

Pignite held out its arm and ran up towards Dewott with speed one would not expect from something to round and stout. Dewott held out a Scalchop but Pignite slapped it out of its hand and brought down its fist.

"Ice Beam!" Burgundy called.

Dewott exhaled a sparkling stream of coldness over Pignite's fist, coating it in a cast of ice and frost. Pignite stopped his attack and looked at its fist in wonder. The weight of the ice caused his arm to dip down, to the ground.

"Dewott?" Burgundy said, astonished. "You-you got Ice Beam? You did it?"

Dewott, keeping its eyes on Pignite, nodded for its Trainer.

"You did it!"

Burgundy looked at Bianca: she was smiling, confident. Her smile quivered just a bit, but Burgundy could tell that this little setback wasn't going to stop her. This battle had shown her that her Pignite believed in her, that it would fight for her. Because it loved and trusted her. And now, Bianca was more confident in her abilities. Thanks to Burgundy!

And...and you know what? A sign of a good Connaisseuse would be bringing out a Trainer and Pokemon's potential. Burgundy didn't need to prove anything by winning this match now; she already did enough here, helping both Dewott and Bianca out. Because of her, everybody wins!

"Hey! Bianca!"

"Huh?"  
"I don't want to battle anymore. I have re-evaluated you and your Pokémon, and you both have an adequate taste."

"What do you mean?" Bianca asked incredulously.  
"I'd love to see your...unique taste in battle again," Burgundy said. She held out a PokeBall and recalled Dewott. "But not now. Let's have a battle when you're stronger."  
"You really mean it?" Bianca asked. "I'm actually good?"

"I'm competing in the Club Battle," Burgundy told her. "We can battle each other in the finals, okay? And no holding back from either of us!"

The girls both nodded. Burgundy was sure that she would battle Bianca again in the tournament.

* * *

Author's note: Eugh, I just rushed this chapter because I hate it. It's not a bad chapter, but I really wanted to get to the next couple of chapters and wrap up the first arc. And I'm not too fond of writing battles.

Well, here it is!


	7. Training: Georgia Wants to Watch

A/N: Wow I'm embarrassed by the last chapter. Whatever, writing's about having fun. I'll improve as I have fun. Please enjoy the final installment of the first arc, Training.

* * *

A lot of trainers were eager to challenge the Mistralton City Gym Leader. So much that Bianca had to book an appointment before she even got to Mistralton City, almost two weeks ago.

She held her Xtranceiver up to her face and shuffled through a list of contacts, before stettling on one name. She pressed a button, and the device started to ring. It was several seconds before the device read "NO ANSWER."

"Pick up, Georgia," Bianca said under her breath. She dialed again, hoping for better luck this time.

She spent a few minutes dialing and waiting, almost on the verge of tears. Georgia said she'd be there to watch her Gym Battle. Did she forget?

"Georgia wouldn't forget," Bianca told herself. "She's probably just in another call, or busy, or..."

Or maybe she did forget. Maybe she doesn't care. Maybe she just told you she'd come so you would stop bugging her and let her get back to training for the Clubsplosion tournament. Negative thoughts flooded through Bianca's little head.

They met up two days prior, at the city's Pokemon Center. Bianca was quick to remind Georgia that the Dragon Buster said that she would watch her match. Georgia nodded and said she wouldn't forget. But she also told her that would be unavailable most of the time before then, as she wanted to train before Don George's next tournament.

Bianca reasoned that she was probably training in Mistralton Tower again, and was too busy with batting to notice her Xtranceiver. Bianca would just have to show up there and remind Georgia about the Gym match.

* * *

To Bianca's surprise, dozens of people were crowded around the base of the Tower. She tapped a young man on the shoulder and asked him, "What's going on? What's everybody doing here?"

"Wishing Bell Festival," she man told her. "During the festival, there's this contest, see?"  
"Uh huh, uh huh..."

"Trainers compete to ring the bell at the top of Mistralton Tower and get a wish."

"Are any of those Trainers a girl with pink hair?" Bianca asked.

"I think there's only a few guys left in the contest," the man answered, scratching his chin. "There might have been a girl like that, but I don't know."

"Thanks anyway," Bianca said with a resigned sigh. "Wait. Is there any chance she might be close by?"

"She could be in the audience," the young man said. "I'll lift you up so-"

Bianca squealed and grabbed the young man by the shoulders. After hitching up her skirt slightly, she dug her foot into his back and started to climb him. Now, she had her legs wrapped around his chest, and an arm wrapped around his neck.

"Thanks!" she told him. "Keep an eye out for my friend, too."

"I was thinking one of my Pokemon could lift you up," the man groaned. it was hard to talk with a teenage girl on you and her hands on your throat.

Bianca put a hand over her eyebrows, blocking the sun from her eyes, and searched through the crowd for any sign of Georgia. No funny hat hiding pink hair in sight.

Seven minutes past, and the winner of the contest was announced, though Bianca didn't catch who won. Bianca climbed down from her human perch.

"Thank you for your help," she said to him, bowing repeatedly. "Sorry if I was any trouble!"  
"N-no problem," he said awkwardly, his smile twitching. "Although, if you're climbing someone again, could you give them a little warning first? I'll be sore for hours."

"Hours?" she repeated. "Oh no! I'm an hour late for my match!"

* * *

The Gym was about twenty minutes away from Mistralton Tower. By the time Bianca got there, the rain had picked up. She was scurrying faster and faster to avoid getting wet.

"Sorry in advance!" she screamed as she ran through the line of people outside the Gym. Though most of them were in raincoats, they were all pushed into the ground and got coated with mud and water.

Bianca pushed the Gym's doors open and ran inside. Her wet show slipped on the smooth floor. She fell forward and landed on her chin.

Bianca lay on the floor for a bit, hiding her face in embarrassment. _This was not my day, not my day, not my day..._

"Smooth move, princess" came a familiar voice.

Bianca looked up to see Georgia's gloved hand in front of her. Bianca took it, and let Georgia help her off the ground.  
"You're...here?" Bianca barely managed to squeak the words out.  
"I said I would be, didn't I?" Georgia said. "I've been waiting for you here for so long that I fell asleep on a bench."

"Didn't the calls I gave you wake you up?" Bianca asked. "I've been calling you non-stop."

Georgia looked at her wrist and blinked. "Huh," she mumbled. "Guess I forgot my Xtranceiver at the Pokemon Center."

"So, you didn't forget," Bianca said with a smile. "You do care!"

"Figures _you_ would be late for your own match!" Georgia scoffed. "Now hurry up and battle Skyla before someone else does."

Bianca, soaked with rain and a bit of mud, late for her match, and with a light bruise on her chin, smiled. She wrapped her arms around her friend and hug her tight.

"Gross!" Georgia yelled. "Get off of me! You smell like a wet Patrat!"

"Thank you, Georgia," Bianca said.


End file.
